· December 29, 2013 · · A "try" got its name in 19th century rugby - originally a touchdown over the opposition goal line earned no points, but earned your team "a try at goal" (what we now call a conversion). …/rugby-kicking-tee/ · December 29, 2013 · · Tooth's pub art. Newtown Bluebags vs South Sydney Rabbitohs. The displays were used by Tooth and Co. for Tooths Beer advertising from the mid 1930s to 1969. Over 6000 were made, today only a handful remain.They were often commissioned and completed for a particular hotel, depending upon its location or desired image. The subject matter and appearance varied extensively. These works were not mass-produced advertising graphics. They are considered more as a unique, small-series works of commercial art in a popular style. · December 28, 2013 · · Watch the original play-the-ball rule as it was in 1906 in this clip!!! Watch from 48s to 53s.

#amazing Modern play the ball rule we would recognise came in 1926. Breaking the Law: bring back contested scrums in rugby league | Sport | The Guardian Breaking the Law: bring back contested scrums in rugby league It’s technically legal but fighting for possession is all but dead. A revival would make the game more random and exciting Anthony Minichiello gets to grip with the Roosters scrum. Photograph: Colin Whelan/AAP Contact author Wednesday 6 August 2014 17.47 EDT Last modified on Monday 10 October 2016 22.06 EDT Share on Messenger Close Rugby league’s scrums are the oddest observances. They’re a ritualised handover of the ball, both sides calling an odd little truce in an otherwise fierce 80 minutes. It’s two packs of forwards agreeing, We will not contest and We will not contest either. It’s Christmas Day on the Somme. And it has long been lamented: what good are scrums? If there is no contest, why have them at all? Indeed to contest in a league scrum is not only Not The Done Thing but rather against the rules.

Well, it’s not against the rules as laid down in the actual rule book. But to put the ball into the tunnel and for either pack to actually push is against the spirit (for want of a better word) of the game as it’s played today. Or more how it’s understood that the game is played (perhaps this article would be better subtitled Breaking the Unwritten Law). And that’s how it’s been for 20 years. Some years ago I rang around a bunch of rugby league Old Boys, dinosaurs, knucklemen to hear their thoughts on the Modern Game. And to a man, while marvelling at the skill levels of players who could fly through the air outside the very planes of the playing field and stuff the ball down one-handed, they lamented the de-powering of the scrum. “The ball should go straight into the middle,” said the first Newcastle Knights captain, Sam Stewart. “There should be skill required to win the ball. It should be a contest. It’s entirely too predictable.” “It’s a waste of time having a scrum,” said South Sydney Rabbitohs winger, Ziggy Niszczot.

“I know it was messy in our day but at least the best hooker got the ball back.” “There hasn’t been a hooker in 10 years who’s put his foot on the ball,” said the former Parramatta Eel, Bob “The Bear” O’Reilly. “A decent scrum would open up your backline. Now you’re seeing front-rowers getting out to knock the five-eighth over. I’d like to see back-rowers put some weight into them and see if the hooker can get the ball back.” As scrums are now, they may as well make the players form human pyramids. Why not? A rugby league scrum’s only purpose is to gather six players in one part of the field and alternate possession. Blokes get a rest. And that’s it. It’s the Ritual of Handover. To which most thinking people ask, Why have them at all?

At the same time as asking the Grumpy Old Men I asked the NRL’s then chief operating officer Graham Annesley (now CEO of the Gold Coast Titans, one-time honourable member for Something and NSW minister for sport and recreation, the man can spin like Warney) who said: “The ball simply has to be put into the tunnel. It makes scrums safer. Scrums used to collapse. We were also spending too much time on them. They were being repacked and re-fed because there was a mass of legs across the tunnel. To make the game faster, the ball has to go in and out. But scrums still serve a purpose. It makes backlines seven on seven. And it’s a traditional part of the game. There’s also nothing to stop a side putting a shove on.” Well, apart from the ball being rolled literally under the lock’s feet. But we’ll address more of the Honourable Man’s scrum thoughts in due course. For now we’ll ask Thinking People to think again. And contend that rather than brushing scrums altogether, why not make them contests again? Tighten them up. Have rules.

Make the halfback – or better still the pocket referee or touch judge, they do little else – feed the ball into the middle of the scrum. Make those men labelled “hookers” earn their name by “hooking” for the ball with their feet. Make scrums contests. In May, the Warriors shocked the Eels – and the rugby league world – by pushing in a scrum and winning the ball back, “against the head”. When Sam Tomkins picked up the ball and scooted over to score, children everywhere asked in wide-eyed wonder: “You can do that”? Yes, children, you can. Indeed it is written in the laws. Now, sure, if there were a contest for the ball in scrums there would be cheating. Scrums were once arcane, nasty bits of kit. Referees would pluck out penalties against both teams. They were “messy”. But rugby league too often wants “clean”. Rugby league wants perfect. Crisp, completed sets. Video referees. Black-and-white. But some of the best things about sport are random, messy, unscripted. And because players may cheat is surely not a reason not to police it.

Rugby league once had scrums to contest possession. And today, without a way to legally get the ball back from one’s opponent save a one-on-one strip, rugby league has a “sameness” about it. And, for mine, the depowered, ritual scrum is a factor. Consider: Coaches – never people who feel that “entertainment” is part of their mandate unless it leads to “winning” – teach their charges that in their own 40, there’s nothing but hit-ups. Pack the field with giant brutes who power up field, confident in the knowledge they’ll have a rest after the powerhouse because of the interchange system (also another story). Ten metres your side of halfway the ball is kicked long for a corner. Ten metres into their half it’s kicked high in the air. And there’s little deviation from this. Then, once inside their 40 and with a few tackles up one’s sleeve, toss it about, or grubber, or punt, or bunt, or run free like the buffalo, whatever. Inside the other mob’s 40, that’s where the party starts, where interesting happens. Outside that … not so much.

And to an extent it’s the scrum’s fault. Bear with me. For if there were a chance of getting the ball back every scrum, you could see more attack from outside these almost legislated zones. It could make rugby league more random. Attackers may be emboldened to pass the ball more, offload, toss it about in all parts of the field, knowing that dropping the ball (most dropped ball in rugby league is a “knock-on”, it’s another Thing) isn’t an automatic handover. Grubbers for the sideline would be more valuable because there’d be a chance of getting the ball back. Wingers, full-backs, centres might have to patrol their line like fast, agitated sentries. Powering up scrums would, crucially, tire out forwards. Pushing in scrums is hard, physical work. To make a scrum powerful, all six men, but particularly the front-five – what rugby union calls “the tight five” – would have to “bind” tightly with one another. A tight scrum is a strong one. Six men tight together can get things done in the pushing department.

A combination of a go-forward scrum and a clever hooker, and you can get the ball back. And the ball is The Precious, as we know. Annesley said de-powering scrums makes them safer because they no longer collapse. And he can make a case. And with Alex McKinnon’s injury still fresh in mind does rugby league want to introduce more potentially risky action? It does not. But scrums aren’t dangerous if packed properly, if policed, if contested by players – forwards – schooled in scrummaging. In rugby union, long-necked backs would no more join a scrum than a cult. Annesley also pointed out at that there was too much time being spent on scrums, that they were being packed and re-fed because there was a mass of legs across the tunnel. And he made a case. But there is story in this. Old cousin rugby might have three and four repacked scrums, long minutes of “inaction” followed by a penalty. But there’s story in that. Packs asserting dominance. It’s part of the game. And it mightn’t make sense to some. But people do enjoy it. Because people love story.

And, again, it could be policed. Hookers used to stretch right across the tunnel to get the ball. Loose head props would sort of swing them in. There was a lot of work in it, a lot of arcane jiggery-pokery. But these things, again, could be policed with laws. And the scrum could be tightened up. The game is, perhaps, faster because the ball goes in and out. And there’s more “action” in terms of running and tackling. But sometimes slow food is soul food. And the game could come back a bit, just as it did when unlimited interchange became 12, and now 10. Ask Andrew Johns – a key man in the change away from unlimited – and he’ll tell you it should be eight. Ask our dinosaurs they’ll tell you there shouldn’t be any. Another story, also. Annesley also declared that “scrums still serve a purpose – it makes backlines seven on seven.” This is true. As would a human pyramid. He also said this, which is true: “It’s a traditional part of the game.” But this lacks … I dunno. Rigour?

We have ritual scrums as a nod to the old days? We have possession-exchangers where once there were dockyard brawls? I think it’s silly. Annesley is sort of right to say that “there’s nothing to stop a side putting a shove on” as the Warriors did the other week. Except that the ball is being rolled under the lock’s feet (which is against the rules, mind you, something an ex-referee like Annesley might think sacrosanct) – and putting a shove on is a waste of energy and might mean all your forwards have fallen over when they might be stopping someone running with the ball. It comes down, in the end, to the lack of one word in one item in one subsection of section 12 of the Laws of Rugby League. Said item decrees that: “The ball is to be fed into the tunnel from the referee’s side with the halfback standing square with both hands on the ball.” Yet without the word “straight,” scrums will remain rituals only. Like human pyramids but less interesting.

The Roar’s NRL MVP: Round 20 | The Roar The Roar’s NRL MVP: Round 20 More Videos More League Videos Want more videos? Download the Roar TV app: Welcome back to another instalment of The Roar‘s NRL MVP, including a special club-by-club breakdown of leaders with six rounds of the season to go. At the top of the NRL ladder though, it is the Cronulla Sharks still pushing on with some special sort of winning streak as they completed a second rout of the hapless Newcastle Knights. The Brisbane Broncos season looks to be stumbling, Johnathan Thurston picked up an injury and Robbie Farah is back at war with Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor, despite the club beating the terrible St George Illawarra Dragons. The Gold Coast Titans are going from strength to strength as well with a 20-point win over the Parramatta Eels while the Canberra Raiders and New Zealand Warriors played out a game in Golden Point. So, how did our team of bloggers see Round 20? The Votes Blogged by: Alan Nicolea 3: Jason Taumalolo – He is as close to unstoppable as you can get.

Made nearly 200 metres in what was a complete performance. 2: Johnathan Thurston – Might have been injured early in the second half, but it doesn’t stop him featuring in the points. 1: Antonio Winterstein – Clinical performance from the Cowboys winger with a hat-trick of tries and few errors at either end of the park. Blogged by: Riley Pettigrew 3: Trent Merrin – Milestone game and he backed it up with a massive 80 minute performance, tallying 227 metres, 32 tackles and scoring a try right on the siren. 2: Matt Moylan – The Panthers fullback had a strong game with a line break, try assist and a try to his own name. 1: Leilani Latu – Has impressed this season and continued his ways with some strong runs, tackles and a pair of try assists. Blogged by: John Coomer 3: Jarrod Croker – A dream game for the Raiders captain, scoring three tries including the golden point winner, assisint another and being a constant threat with the ball as well as his usual solid goal-kicking. 2: Shaun Johnson – Was the Warriors spark in attack without a doubt.

Kicking game to force repeat sets and build pressure was fantastic and gave the Warriors a stack of first half ball. 1: Jordan Rapana – Was safe as a house in defence, defusing the Warriors dangerous short range attack multiple times while also making a massive 173 metres in attack. Blogged by: Scott Pryde 3: Ashley Taylor – Brilliant from the rookie. He just gets better, scoring a try, assisting another and adding plenty with the ball including a few line breaks, a solid kicking game and 109 metres. 2: David Mead – His defence seemed to shine throughout the match, but he also added 150 metres from 14 runs and a try assist. 1: Tyrone Roberts – Backed up Taylor brilliantly and added plenty with his kicking game that was always applying pressure to the Eels line. Blogged by: Connor Bennett 3: Cooper Cronk – Composed and controlled could begin to describe the game Cronk played. Excellent performance, and although he didn’t run the ball alot he ended up with a try assist, a try and a fantastic kicking game. 2: Jake Friend – 72 tackles. No further explanation needed.

1: Cameron Munster – Joined in well with the Cooper Cronk show and ran the ball strongly from the back with 162 metres, while being a constant threat in attack. Blogged by: Brent Ford 3: Ben Barba – Some sort of game for the Cronulla fullback. A pair of tries, another pair of try assits and 132 running metres from just 11 runs. 2: Jack Bird – Couldn’t have played much better at centre, like Barba scoring two and assisting another two while he had three line breaks and 178 metres from 15 runs. 1: Luke Lewis – Seemed to ignite the Sharks on the edge, benefiting off some fantastic creative work while assisting a try and running nearly 100 metres. Blogged by: Riley Pettigrew 3: Mitchell Moses – Maybe his best performance to date in the NRL. Set up the winning try and was a constant threat all game kicking a field goal and making a line break along with maintaining a good kicking game. 2: Ava Seumanufagai – Had a massive impact off the bench, chewing up almost 150 metres from just 14 hit-ups while contributing 31 tackles.

1: Taane Milne – Might have only been his second game in the top grade, but he was fantastic. Made a stack of line breaks, outstanding offloads and set up a try while saving a few. Blogged by: Widget 3: Jamie Lyon – Instrumental in the victory for Manly, with his kicking and passing game playing a roll in a few tries and settings up perfectly all game. 2: Tom Trbojevic – Going from strenght to strength and ended up with a try, a line break and 196 metres in an effort that helped set up the win. 1: Cody Walker – Had a massive impact on the defensive end for the Rabbitohs as they looked to mount a resurgance during the second half while also scoring a try and creating plenty of chances. The Roar’s NRL MVP Leaderboard 1. Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys) – 26 votes 2. Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys) – 21 votes 3. Ben Barba (Cronulla Sharks) – 19 votes =4. Josh Reynolds (Canterbury Bulldogs) – 18 votes =4.

Corey Norman (Parramatta Eels) – 18 votes =6. Anthony Milford (Brisbane Broncos) – 17 votes =6. James Tedesco (Wests Tigers) – 17 votes =6. Shaun Johnson (New Zealand Warriors) – 17 votes 9. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm) – 16 votes =10. Josh Hodgson (Canberra Raiders) – 15 votes =10. Ryan James (Gold Coast Titans) – 15 votes =10. Chad Townsend (Cronulla Sharks) – 15 votes So then, the North Queensland Cowboys duo of Johnathan Thurston and Jason Taumalolo continue to push aheads with both players collecting votes against the Canterbury Bulldogs. Ben Barba is no outright third with a man of the match performance, while it feels like an eternity since Anthony Milford has scored a point – and that’s because it is. Cooper Cronk is also up to ninth with a big effort. Club-by-Club leaders As promised, here are the top three for your club so far this season. Votes are in brackets.

Brisbane Broncos: Anthony Milford (17), Ben Hunt (13), Darius Boyd (10) Canberra Raiders: Josh Hodgson (15), Jarrod Croker (11), Josh Papalii (7) Canterbury Bulldogs: Josh Reynolds (18), James Graham (10), Moses Mbye (6) Cronulla Sharks: Ben Barba (19), Chad Townsend (15), Andrew Fifita (11) Gold Coast Titans: Ryan James (15), Ashley Taylor (13), Tyrone Roberts (9) Manly Sea Eagles: Jake Trbojevic (10), Tom Trbojevic (8), Apisai Koroisau (5) Melbourne Storm: Cooper Cronk (16), Cameron Smith (14), Tohu Harris (12) Newcastle Knights: Jarrod Mullen (4), Korbin Sims (3), Nathan Ross (3) North Queensland Cowboys: Johnathan Thurston (26), Jason Taumalolo (21), Michael Morgan (10) Parramatta Eels: Corey Norman (18), Semi Radradra (9), Manu Ma’u (7) Penrith Panthers: Bryce Cartwright (

11), Josh Mansour (7), Trent Merrin (7) South Sydney Rabbitohs: Sam Burgess (13), Adam Reynolds (5), Greg Inglis (4) St George Illawarra Dragons: Josh Dugan (11), Gareth Widdop (9), Mitch Rein (6) Sydney Roosters: Jake Friend (10), Dylan Napa (6), Latrell Mitchell (5)/Mitchell Pearce (5) New Zealand Warriors: Shaun Johnson (17), Issac Luke (10), Tuimoala Lolohea (8) Wests Tigers: James Tedesco (17), Mitchell Moses (10), Robbie Farah (4) As you can see there, some massive disparity between teams but voting seems to reflect the NRL ladder.

What do you reckon Roarers? Did our team get it right this week, and how do you see the leaderboard finishing overall? Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde Can Russell Crowe take rugby league to Las Vegas? - BBC News BBC News Can Russell Crowe take rugby league to Las Vegas? By Louise Evans Sydney Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Crowe has set his sights on bringing rugby league to Las Vegas Rugby league has always played the poor cousin to more glamorous and better financed codes such as soccer on the international stage. But one man hopes to change all that. Did you hear the one about the Hollywood star and the casino boss who showcased a bunch of one-time losers in Las Vegas and hit the jackpot? It's not a joke. If Oscar winner Russell Crowe succeeds, Australia's South Sydney Rabbitohs, the premiership-winning team he part-owns, will become a global brand. It doesn't hurt that he has the backing of his billionaire business friend James Packer, who owns casinos around the world.

Considering how far Crowe has already taken the team - facing financial ruin, it was ousted from Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) in 2000 - the odds of him succeeding in this global push are better than average. Vegas gamble Crowe, star of box office hits such as Gladiator, outlined his grand plan for the team just before it became the best rugby league club in the world by winning the World Club Series in a one-off match against top English side St Helens in late February. The New Zealand-born, Australian-trained actor wants the top four teams from the two best rugby league competitions in the world, Australia and England, to develop the game internationally by playing a condensed competition in Las Vegas to decide who's number one. "If everyone, the fans of those top four, meets in the middle between Australia and England in Vegas, and it's all on and it's blood on the line, then it's really exciting," Crowe told BBC Sport.

"It is another TV product we can sell and it will also give the clubs another revenue source." Crowe has the ear of the NRL and ESL (English Super League) and his plan has the backing of the top clubs and sport marketers, who say his celebrity power and the Rabbitohs' success and back-story are a winning combination. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Rabbitohs won the World Club Series in February against England's St Helens Chicago-based Noah Gold, who has managed public relations and marketing programmes for top-tier global sporting clients including the National Football League's Super Bowl, says Crowe has the power and the product to succeed in the US. "With Crowe's star power there's ample opportunity for promotion in and around Hollywood," says Mr Gold, now senior manager for communications at sports drinks manufacturer Gatorade. "Additionally, sports aficionados have proven they will travel long distances to see their favourite players and Vegas is an enticing destination," he says. "American fans are willing to pay a premium for a top-notch on-field product.

From international soccer events to boxing to American football, fans have demonstrated this in the US." Gary Hetherington, chief executive of Leeds Rhinos, the best supported club in the ESL and the most successful in the Super League era, also thinks Crowe can help develop a US following for league. He says the film star's presence at an exhibition match between Souths and Leeds in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2008 attracted 12,000 spectators. "Our Super League has a new TV deal with Sky Sports and the expansion of the game is something the broadcaster supports," Mr Hetherington says. The deal is believed to be worth £200m ($297m, A$388m) and to run until 2021. "The good crowds and good TV audience for the World Club Series-style event in England in February... has shown that there is a value to offering the game to other cities, in North America or elsewhere." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Crowe helped to rescue the South Sydney Rabbitohs from financial ruin Crowe's team's march to redemption is part of the package.

Founded in 1908 in the inner Sydney working class suburb of Redfern, Souths got their Rabbitohs name from the locals who sold skinned rabbits door-to-door to make a living. The team won 20 premierships between 1908 and 1971, but by 1990 it was at the bottom of the league. In 2000, it was kicked out of the competition. The team fought for two years in court to be readmitted but was still broke and playing badly when Crowe - a supporter since he was a boy - invested in the club. Last year, the team completed its return by winning its first premiership in 43 years and posting a net profit of about A$2m. The club is now owned 75% by Crowe and Mr Packer, who owns casinos in Australia, the UK, the Philippines and Macau as well as film production business RatPac Entertainment. The other 25% is owned by the club's 33,000 members.

Souths' chairman Nick Pappas, a solicitor who was part of the legal battle against the NRL, is a strong supporter of Crowe's plan, which he says is in the early stages of discussions with the NRL and clubs. Mr Pappas says Souths' global potential was on display at the World Club Series, where he met a group of 20 German fans wearing Rabbitohs merchandise. "Like me, Russell believes [rugby league football] is the greatest spectator sport in the world. It is the ultimate gladiatorial sport, combining both the physical dimension and the skill factor. We think it deserves a much bigger audience." WESTS TIGERS & NRL STATEMENTS - Rugby League Week WESTS TIGERS & NRL STATEMENTS STATEMENTS from the Wests Tigers and NRL in regard to issues surrounding the Balmain Tigers Leagues Club. Wests Tigers: Wests Tigers are sympathetic to the situation that Balmain Tigers Leagues Club currently finds itself in, as a historic contributor to the game of Rugby League Wests Tigers are hopeful the issue is resolved quickly. First and foremost it is important that Wests Tigers clarifies that Balmain Tigers Leagues Club is two steps removed from the NRL Club.

Wests Tigers does not rely on Balmain Tigers Leagues Club funding, and has not for some time. The Balmain Tigers Leagues Club is owned outright by the Balmain Tigers Football Club. Wests Tigers is a joint-venture between Balmain Tigers Rugby League Football Club (Balmain Tigers) and Western Suburbs Rugby League Football Group (Wests Group), with funding shortfalls historically covered with a 50/50 split between the two shareholders. Due to a range of circumstances for the past three seasons this shareholder funding has not occurred to a sufficient level. On the basis of this Wests Tigers sought assistance, direction and leadership from the NRL, which over time has evolved into a complete governance and financial reform of Wests Tigers. It became clear that the financial position of Wests Tigers could not be stabilised without governance reform, a process which has been going on for the past six months and is drawing to a conclusion. The result of this governance reform will be a change in Wests Tigers’ structure at board level, with two representatives from Wests Group, two from Balmain Tigers and three Independent Directors. Representation by the shareholders on the reformed board is subject to meeting shareholder funding obligations.

Wests Tigers CEO Grant Mayer said that despite the difficulties facing Balmain Tigers Leagues Club it is business as usual for the NRL side. “The emotion surrounding the recent Balmain Tigers Leagues Club issues has created increased concern and confusion amongst Wests Tigers Members, fans and corporate supporter base,” said Mayer. “Put simply, there is no need for anyone from Wests Tigers point of view to be concerned. “Wests Tigers have undergone a rigorous process with the NRL to secure the future of the club and would like to ease the concern of our extended family,” he said. “Wests Tigers will represent our supporters proudly on Friday night against the South Sydney Rabbitohs and for seasons to come.” Part of the reform process will ensure that the Wests Tigers logo and brand will remain in place over the long term. The club and the game has spent the last 15 years building equity in the Wests Tigers brand which is strong, vibrant, and with ongoing support will continue to grow in the future. “Despite an ongoing media campaign linking Wests Tigers with relocation to Perth I once again would like to confirm that this club is remaining where it is – providing rugby league entertainment and opportunities in western and south-western Sydney,” said Mayer.

“It’s an irresponsible claim and one built on self-interest and misinformation. At a time when we are busily chasing Members and corporate partners, as well as attempting to shore up our playing ranks, emotional claims are unhelpful in the extreme. “The best way to ensure that Wests Tigers remains strong is for the club’s casual fans to become Members immediately,” he said. __________________________________________ Sam Burgess' band of brothers back home to give England extra muscle | Sport | The Guardian Sam Burgess Sam Burgess' band of brothers back home to give England extra muscle England's main man at the rugby league World Cup has returned after helping to make the family name in Australia Sam Burgess is ready for England duty after flying home from his club side, South Sydney Rabbitohs. Photograph: Christopher Thomond Monday 21 October 2013 11.55 EDT First published on Monday 21 October 2013 11.55 EDT Share on Messenger Close "I love this feeling," Sam Burgess says of the emotion that has been uncorked inside his huge frame.

Even the darkening sky on a rainy afternoon in Salford is a source of pleasure for Burgess as he returns home after three years amid the sunshine and brutality of the NRL. "I love being back in England, walking around and soaking up the whole place. It means a lot after I've been away so long." Over coffee at Salford City Stadium, he seems entranced at first by the familiar old grey weather of home. It allows Burgess to remember the previous six extraordinary years which have been underpinned by the loss of his father to motor neurone disease, moving to Australia in 2009, his emergence as an authoritative presence in the NRL and a subsequent story of brotherly success. He was lured to the South Sydney Rabbitohs from Bradford by Russell Crowe , the movie-star owner who charmed the young Yorkshireman with tales of the club's working-class roots and his plans to revitalise a winning heritage stalled for more than 40 years. There has since been a sweeping Hollywood backdrop to the Burgess saga, for having been joined by his three brothers in adding family-reared British beef to the team, the Rabbitohs appeared on course to become NRL champions this season.

The involvement of the Burgess boys has been irresistible, especially as they are cheered on by their mother, Julie, in Sydney. A World Cup twist has deepened their impact, for three of the four brothers have been picked for the England squad . Sam Burgess will be England's key player, particularly in the opening match against Australia on Saturday at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. His younger brothers, the twins George and Tom, will also help England attempt to buck history by winning the tournament for the first time since Great Britain lifted the World Cup in 1972. Only Luke, their eldest brother, has been left behind in Sydney. Yet, beyond their family breakthrough, Burgess's poignant memories of his father resonate. He talks in moving detail about his death – and of all they shared in the last shattering 18 months when, while still a teenager, he helped care for his dad as he wasted away. "Dad was a big guy," the 24-year-old says of his father, Mark, once a typically tough front-row forward in semi-professional rugby league. "You never want to see your dad being sick but it was even harder because he was a very proud man who liked to be active. Motor neurone disease is horrible.

And it's so tough to watch it bring down your own dad …" Burgess's voice trails away for, eventually, his father could not even talk, let alone walk. "When dad deteriorated he couldn't get to bed at night. I would carry him up the stairs. I was only 18 [in 2007] and we had a little technique to get through it. We would count the stairs, and there were 21 of them. It was easier carrying him down, I'll tell you that. But, carrying him up, we had a little laugh. It was our way of getting through it – laughing and counting the stairs." He looks up with touching restraint when I suggest that, despite the terrible debilitation, at least he had time to treasure his father in a way that would not have been possible if he had lost him suddenly in a car accident. "It's a tough one to answer. We always valued dad. He was our biggest hero and a great father. We enjoyed every day with dad but probably more so when we found out he was ill. "My dad enjoyed just going to Morrisons. We'd push him round Morrisons in his wheelchair.

He also liked sitting in our conservatory, at the back of the house, listening to the rain on the roof. He loved that sound. So we'd sit in the conservatory and listen to the rain together. Or my dad's mates from rugby league would come round. They'd sit there for hours, telling stories, laughing. There were obviously challenging days. My dad hated being looked after because he was so proud but when I look back now the memories are more of the fun we had. I get joy in remembering that." Burgess describes the process of reliving such raw and contrasting emotions as "confronting but rewarding; they also make me understand what a fantastic woman my mum has been". Julie Burgess might cut a formidable figure while watching her sons at the Rabbitohs but she once had a different plan for her boys. Her famous son shakes his head shyly. "Mum's dream was for all of us to go to university. Unfortunately I went straight into playing full-time after school but I'm studying small business management so I do a bit to keep my brain working. But mum speaks five languages. She's fluent in French and Spanish and she can talk German and Italian too. She's an impressive woman.

"She used to work as an assistant principal at Swallow Hill in Leeds. It was quite a tough school but she loved it. Mum did really well to get this new position in Sydney. At Scots College, which is quite an exclusive school, she's teaching French and English. She actually messaged me this morning. Her school have auctioned us off. All four of us brothers are off to a barbecue with whoever wins the auction." Burgess's passion for the Rabbitohs, whom he joined in 2010, is also plain. "I had this strong feeling for the club right away. Russell spoke a lot about what the club stood for and it sat very well with me. And I loved the history. The club are [among] the oldest in Australian rugby league and were formed in 1908. They've won the most Premierships of anyone – 20 – but not since 1971. Russell wants to bring back the glory days and his vision makes you understand what it means to South Sydney. I put my trust in him." Apart from being one of the best players in the NRL and described regularly as being among Sydney's "most eligible bachelors", Burgess loves appearing alongside his brothers.

Luke signed for the Rabbitohs in 2011, with George following a year later while, this season, Tom completed the Burgess quartet. "Luke's my older brother and we were always very close. So playing with him is fantastic. But George is my younger brother and to see him work so hard to get into the first team and become [the NRL's] rookie of the year was special. "The three of us played together for the first time against the [Canterbury] Bulldogs [in June 2012]. Me and George walked out for the warm-up and Luke was behind us in the tunnel. He said it was a great feeling watching the two of us. He stood back and enjoyed that moment. That really hit home and now when all four of us play together I try to watch the boys and see what they're doing. It's a cool thing to play with all my brothers." Tom made his Rabbitohs debut 12 months later but the most evocative moment occurred in late August when all the Burgess boys were on the field together against Wests Tigers. It was the first time in more than 100 years that four brothers had played in the same NRL side.

"It was crazy," Burgess says. "We were top of the table and Wests were struggling but in the first few minutes I got sin-binned for a professional foul. I was off for 10 minutes and you have to go to the dressing room and I was watching it in there on TV. "We were soon 18-0 down. That's a lot in the NRL. But, once I got out there again, I knew if we scored one try we'd eventually claw back before half-time. We managed to get the win in the end [32-18 as Sam and Luke scored tries]. There was a period of the game when we had the ball one after the other. It was a great experience and something I'll look back on in 10 years and really value. We'll have a few beers and a yarn about that day." A romantic continuation of the story would have seen the Rabbitohs win their first championship in 42 years and all four brothers play in the World Cup but expectations that they would reach the Grand Final imploded when they lost to Manly. "Hmm," Burgess says, scrunching up his face. "That wound is still open.

Let's not rub salt in it." There was family disappointment, too, when Luke was not picked for England. "He's certainly devastated," Burgess says. "He dislocated his shoulder in pre-season and only managed to play 10 games and that hindered his chances but Luke has done amazingly well. He came through the back of the whole league system and succeeded purely on attitude. People might have doubted him but he worked hard to improve his game. He's our starting front-rower and has been very good." Luke has the consolation of spending an off-season with his newly-born daughter in Sydney while his brothers prepare for the World Cup. The embarrassment of losing a friendly last Saturday to Italy can be attributed to the fact that England have been thinking ahead for weeks to the tournament opener against Australia. If Burgess has done more than anyone in recent memory to overcome most Australians' traditional scepticism towards British rugby league he is aware that doubt remains. Even though the great Australian coach, Wayne Bennett, picked Burgess for the All-Stars before he had played a single NRL game, he faced initial disdain from less knowledgeable fans. "I don't know how much they respect the English Super League so you're always going to get that but it didn't bother me.

I was lucky Wayne Bennett wild-carded me into the All-Stars. He said: 'I want this kid to play.' So I started in the front row and did OK." Burgess is far more famous in Australia than England – and his celebrity in Sydney is such that he delights in his relative anonymity at home. "We went round the Trafford Centre the other day for a walk and it was great. No one stopped us – until a couple of Aussies spotted us." He is so immersed in Australian rugby league that Burgess talks longingly about his desire to play in the compelling State of Origin series – an annual best-of-three showdown between New South Wales and Queensland. "I go and watch the Origin games and get goosebumps every time. I'd love to do it but it would probably dilute the purity of the game. I know there're some Kiwis in there – but it also dilutes the history. Of course I'd love to be on that stage and if the opportunity ever arose I'd want to do it. You can tell there's a real mix of opinion – certainly judging by social media. Some people say they would love to see me play – others think it's a joke.

There has been a lot of controversy about some of the players who've made it but me and Sonny Bill Williams are in the same boat. We'd love to play State of Origin but probably will never get a chance to do so. I understand the reasons." This season two Englishmen have been named player of the year for their respective NRL clubs – Burgess for South Sydney and James Graham for the Bulldogs. "It's good for English rugby league," Burgess says, "and Sam Tomkins is going to be a great force in the NRL [for New Zealand Warriors] next year. But there will always be doubters until we can become a consistent force that can match and beat the Aussies." Australia will be overwhelming World Cup favourites and the prospect of a Hollywood ending for England is unlikely. "I'm aware that we last won the World Cup in 1972," Burgess says. "That's almost as long as South Sydney's drought in the NRL. If we could pull it off and win the World Cup at home, with me playing alongside two of my brothers, it would be amazing.

But, whatever happens, we just feel good being home again." The NRL table topped by Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs The NRL table topped by Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs reddit More The number of NRL-contracted players attending a university and studying for a degree in 2016 totals 221, or close to one-third of all NRL squad players over the age of 20. Nearly 50 years ago, the Sydney rugby league competition would have boasted one doctor (Merv Cross), perhaps a couple of engineers and lawyers and a few school teachers with a university degree. Klemmer charged with touching referee Klemmer charged with touching referee Bulldogs prop David Klemmer has been hit with grade one contrary conduct charge and is facing a two-game ban for making contact with a referee. Up Next Roberts' hair pulling allegations Roberts' hair pulling allegations The Brisbane Broncos will investigate allegations James Roberts pulled a woman's hair at a Gold Coast nightclub.

Nine News Up Next Chris Sandow filmed in street brawl Play Video Chris Sandow filmed in street brawl Chris Sandow filmed in street brawl Former NRL star Chris Sandow has been arrested and charged with public nuisance after he was filmed brawling in the street in his home town of Cherbourg, Queensland. Vision courtesy Nine News. Up Next Alex McKinnon to sue NRL after tackle left him paralysed Play Video Alex McKinnon to sue NRL after tackle ... Alex McKinnon to sue NRL after tackle left him paralysed Former Newcastle Knights player has reportedly launched legal proceedings against the NRL for the tackle that left him paralysed in 2014. Vision: Channel Seven Up Next Bird: Ben Barba will be back at Cronulla Play Video Bird: Ben Barba will be back at Cronulla Bird: Ben Barba will be back at Cronulla Jack Bird denies Ben Barba is bound for Japanese rugby union, instead predicting the livewire fullback will be back with the Premiers.

Up Next Eels CEO confident Semi staying Play Video Eels CEO confident Semi staying Eels CEO confident Semi staying Eels boss Bernie Gurr says Semi Radradra's manager has confirmed the winger has not signed with French club Toulon. Vision courtesy Nine Network Up Next Paul Gallen wins rib eating competition Play Video Paul Gallen wins rib eating competition The Cronulla Sharks legend smashes 36 chicken ribs in the space of ten minutes for charity. Up Next Grant confident he won't be voted out Play Video Grant confident he won't be voted out Grant confident he won't be voted out John Grant insists his position hasn't become untenable and is confident he will remain the ARLC Chairman into 2017. More videos Klemmer charged with touching referee Bulldogs prop David Klemmer has been hit with grade one contrary conduct charge and is facing a two-game ban for making contact with a referee. This year's numbers are an exponential increase on 2008 figures when only 68 players, including those in the NYC competition, were enrolled in university courses. Although the number had doubled three years later, it's one thing to start a course and another to finish it.

The drop-out, or failure rate in 2011 was 40 per cent. SHARE Double diploma: Dragons player Joel Thompson Photo: Adam McLean Now, however, with clubs employing education officers, it is down below 13 per cent, with the drop-out rate in trade apprenticeships only 7 per cent. However, the variation in enrolments per club is significant, with the Panthers having 21 players signed up to tertiary courses, while the Roosters, Sharks and Cowboys have nine each. Advertisement Proximity to a university is a significant factor, particularly for a club like the Dragons who train on the University of Wollongong campus and have 18 players enrolled in courses. This has made it easy for the Dragons to switch between focus on the mortarboard and the coach's whiteboard. Russell Packer, who is enrolled in a commerce degree, scored 96 per cent in his first exam. Based on the way he ploughed into defenders in the game against the Storm, he should be able to plough through the doubters as well. Joel Thompson has already completed two diplomas and is enrolled in a bachelor of social work, seeking employment in Indigenous communities when he retires.

While past serial misbehaver, Josh Dugan, is not listed as enrolled in a tertiary course, it appears the Dragons have turned around the lives of all three players. Significantly, St George Illawarra is an NRL leader both in welfare and education, a factor contributing to their players valuing the good name of the club, conscious any behavioural breach could damage it. NRL/RLPA player education grants have tripled since 2004, with $600,000 now allocated to subsidising the educational costs of contracted players (and referees!) No contracted player has ever had an educational grant application rejected, under the criteria, in the last 10 years. Each NRL player is entitled to receive $20,000 for educational expenses, including four years into retirement. NRL clubs with players aged over 20 enrolled in university courses Panthers 21

Question: The name of the NRL rugby league club South Sydney is completed by what animal-related name?
Answer: Rabbitohs